Asylum
by GreatBigFreak
Summary: This is a ficlet from some time ago, and is set in the past. Taker shows he really does give a crap about his little brother. Rated for a little bit of naughty language.


Title: Asylum

Disclaimer: I don't own them... You can have them back when I'm done.

Summary: The inmates aren't running the asylum, but at least it's visiting day.

Kayfabe compliant?: Yep, where and when I chose as always.

Comments: This is a short little ficlet I wrote quite some time ago, that wouldn't let me forget about it. The timing in my head is a little hazy... Kane's still masked, Taker's letting up on the Lord of Darkness thing, possible mention of Sara, but not by name.

* * *

"Dr. Rogers?" The voice of the receptionist crackled over the intercom. Dr. Rogers pressed his finger on the button of the small speaker on his desk. 

"Yes?"

"There's a visitor here for Mr. Callaway. He claims to be his brother."

"Send him in." Rogers immediately saw the resemblance between this man and his large patient in terms of physique. This Callaway was as much of a mountain of a man as his brother. The paper work in Glenn's file stated that a brother, Mark, was his next of kin and was footing the bills for his treatment. They exchanged a handshake. The visitor was dressed almost entirely in black save for his blue jeans, and had very calculating eyes. He was clearly sizing the psychiatrist up. He was also carrying a paper bag. "I assume you're the other Mr. Callaway." Dr. Rogers said.

"That's me." The man replied, removing his sunglasses and hooking them on the collar of his black hooded sweatshirt.

"It's nice to meet you. I wish the circumstances were a little more optimistic."

"How is Glenn?"

"We've had to put him in isolation and restrained, in order to keep him from hurting himself."

"Damn. I thought he'd been making progress."

"He had been. But his treatment has hit a plateau recently, and has since regressed."

"Can I see him?"

"I'm not sure that would be healthy given his current mental state. He's been projecting a lot of things on to you."

"Has he now?" Callaway asked, his expression becoming slightly bemused. He could have just as easily declared "No shit, Sherlock" and would have gotten the same point across.

"Some days, he's very fond of you. Others, well, let's just say I'd worry for your safety if he weren't in here."

"Let me see him. I've been able to make him come around in the past."

"Then he becomes dependent on you, Mr. Callaway."

"I don't mind looking after him. I'm not going anywhere for a long while. Just let me see him." Something about the large man's voice made it clear that he would see his brother, no matter how the doctor felt about it.

"Fine" He relented. "What's in the bag?"

"Bribery" Callaway replied, with a sly smile.

The cell was padded. Glenn was in a corner, on his knees and rocking back and forth, hitting the back of his head on the wall over and over. He was bound up with a straight jacket. He didn't bother to look up when the door opened and Mark entered. Mark made sure to close the door after him.

"Hello, Glenn." Mark said, and there was no response. Glenn just continued to rock. "I brought you some lunch. Real food, not the shit they serve here." No response. "I heard you were doing real well there for awhile. Why the shut down?" No response. Mark sighed and knelt down near Glenn, looking directly into his eyes. Glenn continued to stare at the floor.

"Listen, you gotta spill to someone, and I know for damn sure that it isn't gonna be that prick doctor. So tell your big brother who got you set up in a place that doesn't smell like schizophrenics and human excrement." Mark said. Glenn came to life like a wind up toy.

"Fuck you Mark!" He shouted. "Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!"

"Well, that's a start." Mark always let any outburst like this roll off his back. He'd be pretty pissed off to if he had to be in a place like this. "You want some soup before it gets cold? I got fresh bread in here too." Mark held up the paper bag.

"Yes" Glenn replied quietly, not wanting to admit how good it smelled. He hadn't eaten a proper meal since they'd thrown him in here, and he was loosing weight and condition. Mark sat down in front of his last remaining blood family. He knew that they wouldn't let him remove the straight jacket, so he fed his brother by hand. Glenn didn't know how Mark had gotten an actual metal spoon past security, but he did appreciate non plastic flatware.

With some proper food in his stomach, Glenn was a lot less agitated. His twitching and rocking stopped. He didn't protest when Mark brushed a few crumbs from around his mouth. "Gotta get you shaved." Mark commented.

"That would involve a razor. They don't approve of those around here... For some reason." Glenn quipped bitterly.

"Fine, I'll do it. But that fuzz has got to go." Mark offered.

"And why would that be?"

"Because it makes you look like a raving lunatic; which you're not." Mark said.

"Then why am I here then? Why did you encourage me to come back to one of these places?" Glenn asked.

"You're depressed. You're neurotic. You're sad... But crazy? I'm crazier then you."

"Then get me out of here." Glenn said.

"You know I can't do that." Mark said. Glenn's expression became incredulous.

"Why not?!"

"Because of your depression and neurosis, you're liable to hurt yourself... And call me a selfish fucker if you want, but I just can't stand to see that anymore."

"Why? Why do you care?"

"You know why."

"Humour the supposedly not crazy person." Glenn said sarcastically.

"Because you're all I got left, okay? Happy?" Mark let a little of his frustration finally show through.

"No"

"Yeah, I figured as much... Look, I've been thinking about taking a sabbatical. Get away from all the travel so I could be closer to you. What do you think?"

"What? Why?"

"Because I need you, you big lout. You're no good to me rotting in here."

"So it's purely for selfish reasons." Glenn rolled his eyes.

"Yes" Mark replied, as if it were a well acknowledged fact, a smirk on his face. "Look, Glenn, we'll see this through. We will. It mightn't seem that way, but I do care about you."

"I-I want to believe that Mark... I really do."

"It'll happen; you just gotta keep at it. I'll be here to help you. We're in this together." Glenn finally met his eyes.

"You promise?" There was a look in Glenn's eye that made Mark understand the fear he felt of being abandoned to the voices in his head.

"I promise." Mark said. He was trying to convey all the concern he had for Glenn. He wanted his younger brother to believe him this time. Mark would be as good as his word this time. He didn't have any other agenda then trying to repair his shattered family.

"Okay" He whispered. "Okay" There was a moment of comfortable silence. "How's your wife?" Glenn asked, knowing Mark would always be uncomfortable the topic of how he felt about something, and changing the subject.

"Pregnant, actually" Mark replied, sitting back, letting their mood become more casual.

"Really?" Glenn asked, looking a bit sad again.

"Yeah... What's up?"

"I uh, I don't know." Glenn couldn't be sure what affected him so. Perhaps it was the fact that Mark was out, living a life that was somewhere in the vicinity of normal. He looked up to the door, and saw the doctor and orderlies that were watching them through the small glass window. Mark followed where Glenn was looking.

"What? Are they bugging you?" Mark asked. He then held up a single middle finger towards the window. Glenn snorted and then chuckled. "Glenn, I want this kid to know its uncle."

"You mean that?"

"Of course I do. Don't you want to spoil it rotten, and get it all hyped up on sugar, and then send it back to me as karmic punishment?"

"That could be fun." Glenn said softly.

"See, can't all be shitty."

"No, I suppose not."

Mark stayed by Glenn's side until he fell asleep on the floor beside him. He ran a hand through Glenn's hair and smiled at him. He collected the remains of the meal, got to his feet, and headed for the door. Once outside, the orderlies stepped aside with looks of genuine respect on their face.

"Would somebody please shave him? He looks like a fucking yeti in there." Mark said, putting a cap on his frustration.

"None of us have been able to get near him, sir." One of the young men said.

"Fine, I'll be back in two days. If you haven't got it done by then, I'll do it myself." Mark brushed past Dr. Rogers grumbling something that sounded like "What am I paying these people for?"


End file.
